Helping position the clean maritime growth opportunity in Northern Devon

Wavehill developed a Clean Maritime Growth Vision for Torridge and North Devon District Councils to articulate how recent investment could support a growing clean maritime sector. The work was undertaken following award of £20m Levelling Up funding for a new Maritime Innovation Centre in Appledore. It helped clarify the scale of opportunity across subsectors and set out a coordinated case for further investment.

The project combined insight from local and industry stakeholders to identify opportunities across key subsectors with desk research to examine feasibility, market context, and investment conditions. Workshops and case-making sessions were then held to shape a shared vision and prioritise opportunity areas. Working with a local design agency, the team then developed a vision document to communicate the opportunity clearly to residents, industry, local officials and national government.

The work drew together a range of opportunity areas linked to the region’s existing assets and future prospects including shipbuilding and clean propulsion, seaweed aquaculture, floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, and environmental intelligence. The vision set out how these areas could connect through local infrastructure, skills provision, and innovation activity.
The resulting vision (available here) provided a structured narrative that linked local strengths with national priorities such as net zero and clean growth. It created a clear articulation of how the area could contribute to these agendas while supporting economic activity.

Torridge District Council used the vision to support engagement with potential investors and partners. It informed discussions with private sector organisations and central government bodies, including the Crown Estate, to promote further investment into the region.